Andrea Kimi Antonelli: The Youngest Pole Sitter in Formula 1 History
MIAMI — The Formula 1 world was buzzing with excitement as Mercedes’ rookie sensation, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, made history by becoming the youngest pole sitter in any Formula 1 format. The 18-year-old Italian driver stunned the paddock by clinching the pole position for the sprint race in Miami, edging out McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.045 seconds. This remarkable achievement marks the first time Antonelli has topped a competitive F1 session in his burgeoning career.
Antonelli’s rise to prominence has been nothing short of meteoric. He stepped into the shoes of the legendary seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this year, and the young prodigy has already been tipped for greatness. His performance in Miami only solidifies the high expectations surrounding him.
After securing the pole spot, an elated Antonelli exclaimed over the team radio, “Yes mate! Come on! Come on!” His enthusiasm was palpable, and in a post-session interview, he described the qualifying as “intense.”
“I felt really good since this morning, and I felt confident going into qualifying,” Antonelli shared. “And the last lap was mighty. I put basically everything together and it was nice that it all came very nicely and I’m really happy to get the first pole.”
Looking ahead to the race, Antonelli added, “Tomorrow it’s going to be nice to start on the front row. It’s going to be a bit of a different feeling, but I really cannot wait for tomorrow and to see how we can do in the sprint and then in the qualifying as well.”
Antonelli’s achievement breaks the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 21 years and 73 days old when he secured pole position at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso, now known as Racing Bulls. This was before the introduction of sprint races in Formula 1.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was quick to downplay the distinction between different types of pole positions, emphasizing the significance of Antonelli’s accomplishment. “It’s about the trajectory. It’s not whether it’s a pole in only the sprint, or a pole tomorrow or in the future, he’s done it and he’s quickest,” said the Austrian.
Antonelli will start ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Piastri, while acknowledging Antonelli’s impressive performance, remained optimistic about his chances in the sprint race. “We can still fight from there in the sprint tomorrow. All in all pretty happy,” Piastri said. “We’ve got a bit more pace to unlock hopefully, so I’m feeling positive still. I’ll try to make up a spot in the sprint before we get stuck into where the big points are.”
Meanwhile, new father Max Verstappen, who missed the media day on Thursday due to the birth of his first daughter, Lily, qualified fourth. He will line up ahead of Antonelli’s teammate, George Russell.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda had a disappointing session, failing to make it out of the SQ1 session and will start 18th. This leaves Verstappen as the sole Red Bull driver fighting at the top end of the field in the sprint.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will start sixth and seventh, respectively. Williams driver Alex Albon secured eighth, while Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar continued his impressive form with a ninth-place finish. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, still searching for his first points of the season, took a morale-boosting 10th position.
Nico Hulkenberg delivered an impressive performance for Sauber, securing 11th position. The only major surprise in the session was Tsunoda’s early elimination.
The opening session was not without drama, as Alpine driver Jack Doohan expressed his frustration over the team radio. Doohan’s hopes of progressing to SQ1 were dashed due to a miscommunication in the pit lane. “Mate, that’s not acceptable. That’s not acceptable,” Doohan fumed. “If you’re going to send him after me, you have to make sure he’s ready, or before me. I can’t turn out and have to turn out because he’s going to run into me. And then you guys put me out of Q1. Such a joke!”
Doohan’s future with Alpine remains uncertain, with reserve driver Franco Colapinto waiting in the wings for an opportunity.
As the F1 circus gears up for the sprint race, all eyes will be on Andrea Kimi Antonelli to see if he can convert his historic pole position into a memorable victory. The young Italian has already made his mark, and the future looks incredibly bright for this rising star.
Originally Written by: Nate Saunders
